


His Mother's Eye

by BurningFox6



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Backstory, Blood and Darkness, Drama, Emotional Hurt, Gen, Loss, Regret
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:00:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29985318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BurningFox6/pseuds/BurningFox6
Summary: Hades tried. But he was… never really a good father. How could he be, with that reminder of all he’d lost always looking at him? A peek at his relationship with the boy while he was growing up.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 45





	His Mother's Eye

The day of Zagreus’ birth was almost the day of his death. 

The entire main hall was abuzz with gossip and whispers, quiet so as to not risk the master of the house hearing. Word had it that the Queen had departed. That their Lord’s son hadn’t made it. But one thing was certain: Hades was in his chambers, and with no one running the desk, souls were left waiting until he made his reappearance.

In the gloom of his room, the dark king sat on the edge of his bed, head hung. The room already felt cold and empty even before his wife had packed her things and fled, slipping out of Hades’ domain while he was distracted by their loss. Now, alone, his family torn apart in just one day, the stoic and resolute king just couldn’t bring himself to do his duty.

But he would. Before long, he would. It needed to be done, and no amount of heartbreak would allow him to rest. But after all he’d just endured… even the Lord of the Dead deserved a moment’s peace.

And yet, he couldn’t have that either. A quiet knock echoed from his chamber door.

“Begone,” he murmured more to himself than anything. No doubt some foolish servant overstepping their bounds and wanting to remind him of his duties. Or, gods forbid, offer condolences.

The visitor either didn’t hear or didn’t care. They knocked again, a bit louder.

_“I said begone!”_

A moment’s silence. Then, the door began to open. He turned to spit verbal (and possibly literal) hellfire on whatever insolent simpleton dared intrude. He hushed up quick when he saw that intruder was Nyx.

And in her arms… a baby.

Words wouldn’t come. Confusion and disbelief grappled in his head. Nyx finally made the first move, slowly gliding across the room. “Worry no longer. It took time, but he’s breathing. It… also took everything I had. But it was a sacrifice I was willing to make. My power will recover. …I fear your heart would not.”

It still felt too good to be true. It was too good to be true. It was literally impossible. “The Fates…”

His doubts were quelled with just one sound – a soft mewl from the baby. “I spoke with them,” Nyx explained. “I… convinced them. They are my children, but they are still extremely reluctant to unweave the threads of destiny. …It did not make the process any easier.”

Hades remained silent, either too stunned or unable to voice his gratitude. He was never much for soft words. Nyx knew this, and so finally offered the boy up to him. “Hold him. He is yours.”

So he did. The boy was so small, so fragile, he could fit in the palm of Hades’ giant hand. Little embers danced on the edges of his feet, inherited from the flames burning around Hades’ own. It wasn’t the only thing he’d passed down. One of the child’s eyes was shrouded in darkness, its sclera red. And the other… gentle. Human. Iris green.

His mother’s eye.

Any relief and wonder vanished, a claw of despair raking over his heart again as Hades jerked his face away. Try as he might, the thought of Persephone departing not long ago wouldn’t leave. “Take the boy from my sight.”

Nyx was quiet a moment, but finally pulled the child back into her arms. “Are you certain? He is your heir. You know what I had to give for this.”

“I know.” Hades sighed, his head in his hands. “I know. Do not worry. I shall perform my fatherly and lordly duties in time. But just for today… let me grieve.”

“…Very well.” Nyx departed, pausing at the threshold to look back at him. “And what shall we call him?”

Hades’ heart stung more as he recalled the name he and his wife had agreed on. Remembering the night they’d decided on it… remembering she was gone.

“Zagreus.”

* * *

/

* * *

Hades was true to his word. An air of relief filled the house when the master finally reappeared, as stone-faced as ever. His brief departure alone had set their paperwork back months.

And so months passed. Years. The boy’s bald head grew stark black hair, like his father. It didn’t bring any comfort.

Hades’ time with his son was brief. He had endless paperwork and decisions to make, after all. But on the few occasions that sprung up, he gave his son his undivided attention.

This was not necessarily a good thing.

One evening (or morning?), the two sat for dinner together, Nyx in attendance. To everyone else, Zagreus especially, she was the boy’s mother. A collective lie to cover the painful truth.

The family meal passed in silence. Zagreus had learned by now not to get too unruly in his father’s presence. But when he’d tired of his food halfway through the meal, his childish instincts kicked in as he shoved the plate away. “No more!”

Hades grit his fist, trying to muster up the patience Nyx often encouraged. “Boy… the chefs worked hard to prepare this meal for you. I will give you one chance. Take your plate back, and eat.”

_“No!”_

The way Hades roared, you’d think Zagreus had used his first swear word. “SILENCE! You dare disrespect this house, disrespect your mother and I?! If you do not eat, you will forever be a pitiful runt, and you are too ungrateful to see it! If more words spill from your mouth instead of food going in… you will not like what happens.”

The serving staff was aghast. Zagreus was on the verge of tears. Nyx just had the resigned face of someone who’d tried to soothe his attitude many times before. One small shade, however, had the gall to speak up. “He’s just a child, master!”

The long table shook as Hades’ fist slammed it. “He’s a child of _mine_! And no child of mine shall make such a fool of himself! I will hear no more complaints, spirit, or I’ll cast you into the deepest depths of Tartarus!” His fearsome gaze fell on Zagreus again. _“Clean. Your. Plate.”_

Shakily, the boy pulled his food back to him. “…Yes, father…”

Even as his son got back to it, he could see the tears spilling from his eyes. One from his father’s eye… and one from his mother’s. As if Persephone herself was weeping

Hades ignored it. He would make that boy stronger, respectable, he swore it. Someone his real mother would be proud of.

* * *

More time passed. To humans and shades, Zagreus was growing quite well. To gods… he was small. It was around now Hades realized his mother’s half-divine lineage was showing itself, and that thought just made him agitated again. Forever a reminder of what he’d lost… and was struggling to support.

But he kept trying. The boy would need to learn to fight. At first, Hades made the mistake of trying to train him himself.

A harsh god versus a young teen was hardly a match, especially when Hades showed only the minimum restraint. He did not hurt him, or at least, did not try to, but by the time their bout was over it was apparent his divine strength – even when held back - had left more bruises than intended.

Hades knew this situation couldn’t continue. It would do no good for Zagreus… or for him. Seeing his boy on his back, wiping his mouth after a pitiful display, just made his ire grow once more.

“You are a disgrace,” Hades spat, sinking his trident’s tips into the ground. 

“I’m a _beginner!_ ” 

“They are not mutually exclusive.” Unable to look at his wife’s eye glaring angrily at him any longer, he faced away. “It is clear your prospects are limited. Yet, you can still improve. I will find you a proper tutor. One of the best. Maybe someone of that caliber will be able to draw worth from you.”

“…Bastard.”

When Hades glanced back, it felt like his gaze could kill Zagreus on the spot. “ _Did I hear something?_ ”

The boy looked down. “…No.”

“That is what I thought. Now dust yourself off and go to your room. If it is not clean before I inspect it later, expect punishment.”

* * *

Despite Hades’ doubts, Achilles had taught Zagreus some martial skill. He had clearly not given him discipline, however, as the boy’s attitude grew by the day. By the time he was almost an adult, Zagreus was as quick to talk back to him as Hades was to put him down. His words no longer brought fear… only anger.

So be it. So long as the boy did as he was told, he could snark all he wanted. 

Despite his progress, though, Hades was not satisfied. Zagreus was growing stronger, but he still lacked purpose. Against his better judgement, he decided to give him one.

Zagreus had been ordered to the administrative chamber. There, various shades sat at desks, hands sorting and signing mountains of paperwork. It was Hades’ intention that he join them. 

It was a disaster. The boy did more harm than help, once more setting their workload back. This time, Hades felt no anger. He was used to his son’s failure. He felt only disappointment.

“Not only were you late, again… but then you also failed to perform even the simplest tasks that I had asked, repeatedly, that you complete. How many chances do you need at this? I am too lenient with you.”

The boy would no longer take his discouragement standing down. “Too lenient? Instead of lambasting me nonstop, have you considered, maybe, training me some more to do this fascinating work to your satisfaction? You’ll forgive me if I didn’t memorize every laborious detail the last time you performed your monologue about how all this works.”

The two went back and forth a bit, taking shots, neither backing down… until at last, Hades had hit his limit.

“You’re _fired_! Now get out of my administration, and out of my sight!”

The hatred in Zagreus’ gaze twisted his gut, that damned eye filled with disdain. It haunted him even after the boy had left.

But it didn’t hurt as much as knowing he’d raised a failure.

* * *

Yet, perhaps… he hadn’t.

Not long after the administrative incident, Zagreus learned of his true parentage and began making his escape attempts. Hades simply scoffed, already aware of the futility of it all. Perhaps the constant failures would humble him. Or perhaps he’d somehow get away and Hades could wash his hair of him. He didn’t care either way.

Neither happened. Zagreus _definitely_ wasn’t humbled, and when he finally escaped only to be cast back into the depths, he didn’t quit. He plowed through the Underworld’s defenses, again and again. He befriended the house, the shades, their Olympian cousins. He grew stronger. He endured.

And in the end, he was the one who restored the house and brought back the Queen.

It took some work to start seeing Zagreus not as a disappointment, but what choice did he have? Hades was wrong. He was stubborn, but he couldn’t deny it when the boy brought Persephone back and restored light to his dark life.

But when the jubilation faded… regret set in. Every time Zagreus ran by Hades on another, more official excursion to the surface, memories of all the horrible things he’d said to him flashed through his mind. Every time they clashed on the surface, he remembered that day he’d tried and failed to train him.

Now when his wife gazed on him, that eye he’d been seeing for years was filled only with love. Love he sometimes felt he didn’t deserve after all he’d done.

And when he looked into Zagreus’ eye, he no longer saw resentment. Only pity. Maybe some day they’d be on better terms, but he’d never forget that for a time, Zagreus felt sorry for _him_.

Perhaps he’d gone too far. So desperate to be unlike his unbearable kin, to produce an heir better them, to make someone Persephone could be proud of… and while Zagreus was just that, it was because he was everything Hades _didn’t_ want.

Only now did he realize he’d never given the boy a chance. Now that eye would always be a reminder of _his_ failure.

He couldn’t thank the boy enough. He could never ask Zagreus’ forgiveness.


End file.
